Crackdown on money-laundering, white-collar crime and corruption

The Society for Promotion of Community Standards Inc. is applauding the announcement yesterday by Justice Minister Simon Collins and Police Minister Judith Collins, of a three-year plan to crackdown on international organised crime.

A Justice Ministry report estimates that 70 per cent of adults in New Zealand have been targets of some form of cyber crime. [Such activities include the posting of defamatorty, malicious and threatening content directed at individuals for the purpose of extortion or coercion. The posting of hardcore pornography directed as a ‘weapon’ to malign innocent targeted individuals is an example of how pernicious cyber-bullying can escalate into more serious criminal offending].

An organised crime crackdown by Government would involve anti-money laundering measures, protections against identity theft and steps to prevent bribery and corruption. It would allow more information to be shared by domestic agencies and across borders.

[Overseas money-laundering across international borders and domestically has been linked to the very lucrative pornography industry, prostitution, illegal drugs and sex-trafficking].

The Government has signalled that an omnibus bill would come before Parliament next year, if National is re-elected.

In a bid to tackle white-collar crime, regulations on establishing firms and trusts will be tightened. More than 1000 New Zealand organisations have been implicated in serious offending overseas in the last five years, the report noted.

To reduce monery laundering, increased reporting of suspicious transactions and monitorting of internationsal fund transfers and high value cash transactions would occur.

[The Society contends that citizens have a civic duty to report all suspicions of criminal activity and/or non-compliance to the relevant enforcement agencies, such as the National Enforcement Unit of the Companies Office, The Financial Markets Authority and the Overseas Investment Office].